Beyond your Command
by lucelafonde
Summary: Mirror-Verse. Some things are universal constants, even in their world. Mirror take on Abrams-Verse, including events of the movie. Kirk/Spock
1. Chapter 1

James Tiberius Kirk made his first kill when he was still just a boy, and the event would never make it into the history books they would be writing about him in a hundred years' time.

He neither felt guilt at the action, nor remorse. Tarsus was no place for such displays of weakness, open or not, and neither was the Empire at large.

One might have argued that perhaps his first kill had taken place earlier than that even, for his mother seemed adamant on blaming his father's demise on the infant son. Kirk did not feel guilt for this death either, he knew his mother to be wrong, it had not been his fault that his father had in the illusion of grandness steered his ship into the heart of a Romulan monster.

Stupid bastard. As if he stood a chance.

And, of course, he had not; he had died that day, a 'hero' in the eyes of the Empire, a madman celebrated for his suicidal thinking, for the sense of honour he supposedly had when colliding with the hostile ship.

No one mentioned that he was about to take his whole crew with him into oblivion. None of the history books written ever made a note of the sacrifice he had been planning to make, of the fact that there would have been no survivors left to tell the tale had the ship's CMO, probably the only compassionate man in the whole quadrant, not used his authority to get the crew into the shuttles on time.

Or maybe he had just been trying to save his own hide. His mother had never been really clear on that.

So James Tiberius Kirk refused to take the responsibility for his father's death; the people he killed on Tarsus IV, however, were his hits, and his alone. He had lost count a few days into the famine, but it must have been dozens by the time Kodos finally made the decision to kill the useless baggage.

No, this would not find a place in the history books.

The files were sealed, locked away, the embarrassment of the Empire too big to let any of what had happened on the planet during those weeks get out.

James T Kirk had no particular ambition to join an organisation that had taken care of him so poorly in the past, therefore it was only logical for him to decline his mother's wishes when she urged him to join the Fleet, causing the final break between them.

He had no particularly strong feelings about this turn of events, either way. His next kill, far away from Tarsus and years later, had been his stepfather, who had managed to drive his brother, the only confidant he had ever had, away, and had made a hobby out of beating the remaining child black and blue as often as he could.

Staging a break-in with deathly consequences came as an almost holy relief to Kirk, and he felt no remorse for this life taken by his hands either.

Another part of his biography that would never be mentioned in the history books.

By the time he had rid himself of Frank he was also old enough to live without parental supervision, and he lived life to the fullest. His mother did not know about his reputation in Iowa, for she had been off-planet as long as her son could remember, and therefore did not even begin to guess what had really happened that night in the old farmhouse.

She would never find out. She would never care either, since she had not been particularly fond of Frank to begin with, but she had also neglected to protect her sons from the monster living in their house, and that was why one day, with the help of a certain device, she would suddenly disappear, leaving the crew of the ship she was stationed on guessing as to what had happened to her.

Another detail that would not make it into the books.

James Tiberius Kirk had never had the luxury of relying on anyone, a disease of the world he was living in, and therefore declined Captain Pike's offer of getting him into the Academy without second thought. Nothing ever was for free, not in this world, and whatever it was the Captain wanted – he was not willing to give it.

There were, however, unsettled scores that had accumulated over the summer break with Academy cadets, and there was a beautiful ship that had been built in a shipyard a few miles from his home ever since he could remember, and something – something was calling out to him.

He had never considered a life in the Fleet, not seriously, and he would have rather bitten out his own tongue than admit that he was feeling something at the thought of doing so now.

Yes, it was calling for him. He did not know what 'it' was yet, but he could hear it as clearly as the voices of the people hurrying around the shuttle to ready it for take-off.

He acknowledged Pike with a nod, a voice in his mind telling him that this was an open debt, something to be repaid in the future, and entered the shuttle.

He smiled deviously at Cupcake and his gang, the lifting of his lips a promise to continue where they had stopped, and he could practically feel the chubby throat under his tightening fingers when his fantasies were interrupted by an official looking woman arguing with an apparently drunk man, urging him to sit down.

It was an instant connection, a match made in heaven even, when the guy sat down beside him and offered him a drink, the grumpiness radiating from his very bones.

James Tiberius Kirk had never had the luxury of relying on anyone; Jim might.

* * *

It wasn't unusual for cadets to vanish into thin air, and there were rarely any questions asked when they did, so there was another thing not accounted for in the future history books.

Bones did not ask questions either; he had accepted the darker side of his new companion the second they had locked eyes and he had caught a glimpse of what lay behind that cruel smile. The doctor was no innocent man himself, and should his wife ever show up again somewhere, he would be very surprised, to say the least.

No, he was no innocent; however, he was more compassionate than Kirk, and what set him apart from his colleagues was the fact that he had not chosen the medical line out of a lust for power and control but rather for the sake of science and research. He was not particularly affected by the death of his patients, but neither did he encourage it – something that could not be said of most other doctors.

There was no place in the Empire for friendship or feeling, they were both painfully aware of that, and nevertheless, a few days into their studies, they found they shared a unique dynamic that was unheard of in the Fleet. They did not dare call themselves friends, but it was what they felt- would have known they felt if they had been born into a different world; as it stood, they sensed an opportunity, power where before there had been nothing but distrust and deceit.

Once more a thing that would not be depicted in the books. No one would ever speak of the connection he shared with the doctor, of the fact that he did – when perhaps he should not – trust him with his life, despite the cruelties of their world. And no one mentioned the lengths the physician would go to to save his captain's life in the line of duty and beyond, no one would dare voice the unspoken truth of mutual trust between them, even if it was the worst kept secret in the Empire.

Well, perhaps the second worst. But we're getting there.

James Tiberius Kirk left a bloody trail through his Academy days, and he added another name to the list of outstanding jobs to be done on the day of the hearing.

As soon as his eyes met the Vulcan's, he felt an instant dislike rise inside him, getting to his head, almost making him lose his composure – almost.

The tall figure gingerly made its way down the ranks to the podium, eyes never leaving Kirk's, like a predator watching its prey.

And how cold they were.

Kirk had never seen eyes so very cold, not in all his time on this planet, not on Tarsus. Not even in the mirror.

They were dark, assessing, not giving an inch. He could practically hear the Vulcan brain taking him apart into little pieces, analysing his very core, right there, in the first ten seconds of their acquaintance.

His stance was impossibly proper, his dark uniform straightened, his shoulders tense, hands behind his back; a real Vulcan.

Kirk had heard stories about them, of course, everyone had. This was the first time he had ever actually met a member of that race, and he instantly understood why they were feared as they were.

He suppressed a cold shudder threatening to overcome him, and forced his eyes to meet the dark ones in an equally intimidating manner. He had heard about Vulcan control, about how their body language never gave away anything, but they weren't the only ones who had mastered the art of deceit; Kirk was born to charm and threaten his way through life, manipulation was what he had always excelled at, and he would allow no one – Vulcan or not – to see through the carefully manufactured mask he had worked on for over twenty years.

His gaze travelled lower for a second, noticing the beard around the other's lips with an almost invisible smirk; a standard display of power and position for Vulcans. It was the last clear sign he needed to know that his opponent was an important man.

When Admiral Barnett introduced his accuser as 'Commander' Spock, he was unsurprised. He was also unsurprised at the cold hostility directed towards him during the entire duration of their argument.

What did surprise him was the look on Spock's face when Barnett announced they had received a distress call from Vulcan. It should not have shaken him as much as it did, but seeing the almost innocent vulnerability on the Commander's face – for all of a nanosecond before the distant mask was in place again – had an impact on something Kirk had buried deep inside him a long time ago.

There was no time to ponder upon what had just taken place in the deepest pits of his mind as Bones gathered him and hurried him towards the hangar deck. He followed silently, observing the commotion around them with detached interest, and only fully realized what had been going on for the past minutes when the officer in front of him did not call his name, and – when pressed – informed him of his academic suspension.

He mentally added another name to his list, right under Spock's, and he would have ticked this one off minutely if Bones had not put a hand on his shoulder, an urgent look in his eyes, and dragged him away from the prying eyes around them.

Kirk thought, for a second, that maybe he had been wrong to trust the doctor. There was a reason for the universal suspicion in their world, and when Bones attacked him with the hypo without his consent he was almost certain he had made a foolish mistake when choosing to let his guard down around the man.

He held on to that thought as he lost sight in one eyes, and as Bones dragged him towards a shuttle, but as soon as he realized what the doctor had been trying to achieve- no, managed to achieve, he relaxed again, an unfamiliar sensation flooding his mind at the thought of someone going to such lengths to help him.

This was the first time anyone had ever done anything for him just because they could, without any ulterior motives or expectation of repayment.

This, too, would never be printed in a book.

Neither would the dizziness or the queasiness of the next minutes, but not everything had to be recorded for future generations anyway.

Also not in the annals would go his reaction to the vaccine or his panic following the realization that they were warping into a trap.

He knew he had to find Uhura, as quickly as possible, if they were to have any chance of survival, and when he found her, he was pleased to see her following him to the bridge, an unspoken agreement between them. They had always had affinity for each other, after all. No true interest, no real attraction, but their teasing was not laced with hidden threats or dark promises of an untimely demise – they were after all no competition for each other.

Seeing McCoy struggle to keep him under control when the Captain told them to leave the bridge did not come as a surprise – the doctor was stern when he had to be, but had a deep seated respect for the chain of command. Kirk did not.

Arguing with Pike was hopeless, the man had an iron will and he knew it, and the biggest surprise of the day was brought to him by none other than Spock, when the stoic Vulcan not only listened to his claims, but classified them as 'logical'.

Kirk had no illusions about who had more influence on Pike in this discussion, but contrary to the expected resentment he was certain he would feel towards the Vulcan, there was something else, something entirely different.

There was understanding.

Perhaps he had judged too quickly, but there wasn't time to ponder on that now. They had to move, to act, NOW, before it was too late.

It was a relief when Pike finally took action, and he couldn't help but smile at Uhura's obvious pleasure of being promoted to the bridge. She deserved it, he knew, and he also knew that she was likely to permanently rid herself of her predecessor if she didn't get to hold on to this position after the rescue mission had been concluded.

He would enjoy observing her way of dealing with the dirty bits of promotion in the Empire. All cadets had blood on their hands, and if they didn't, they would as soon as they were assigned to a starship. It was the natural way things worked in their world.

If there ever was a turning point in his life, it was this one second his eyes met Spock's right before they dropped out of warp. The motion was automatic, almost practiced, and he saw his own emotions mirrored in those formerly impenetrable eyes.

That in itself was not what disconcerted Kirk. It was the fact that in this moment he was absolutely certain that he was the only one who saw it: a crack in the Vulcan's mask, a slip in control maybe, but that wasn't it either. It was not the fact that no one else was looking. It was the fact that he could read the expressionless face without fault, and he had the eerie feeling that the reverse was true also.

A sudden dislike arose within him, not hatred exactly, but strong enough to make him sick, and he didn't meet the Commander's eyes after that.

He felt mostly indifferent about Pike's plan to meet Nero on his ship until he promoted him to First Officer. Then he was wishing with all his willpower that the man never returned from his trip. It was nothing personal. Pike was a- well, not good man, but decent enough for this world's standards, and he had recruited him in that bar after all, but with him out of the way he was one step closer to being the captain, and that was the whole point of joining Starfleet, wasn't it?

Of course, he had to survive jumping out of the shuttle first.

He exchanged another look, too natural for comfort, with Spock before he left with Pike, and he knew that in this instant the Vulcan had read his mind, had understood and acknowledged his desire of disposing of Pike and… condoned it. It was not approval precisely, but it came damn close to it.

Huh.

Apparently he had misjudged again.

Spock must have known, of course, that in the event of Pike's permanent disappearance, he would be the next on Kirk's hitlist on the way to the captain's chair, however, there was no concern in the Vulcan's eyes as James entered the lift and held his gaze until the doors closed.

Very interesting indeed.

When Pike ordered him to get him back from the Romulans, he had no intention of following through with that, naturally, but he grunted neutrally nevertheless and focussed on the task at hand. He had to make it out alive too for his plan to take effect, after all.

He watched in horror as Olson and, most importantly, the charges were roasted in front of his eyes, and he cursed himself for not taking them off the maniac before the jump. No good pondering on that now, it was too late anyway, and together with Sulu he managed to accomplish the mission.

He hesitated for all of five seconds before he jumped after the helmsman when he was thrown off the drill, and the only reason he did it at all was because a small voice in his head reminded him that he had overheard someone call him the 'most promising pilot in the Academy', and you want someone like that on board when you're up against a freakishly large, hostile Romulan ship with advanced technology.

Additionally, in the unlikely case of their survival, he would also be celebrated as a hero for saving the guy, and prestige and acknowledgment was what it was all about around here, no one knew that better than him; hero's son and all.

As soon as they appeared on the transporter pad he promised himself that he would never risk his life for anyone ever again. It had been too close, and had the whizkid not intervened, they would both be sludge on the Vulcan sands right about now.

Why would Spock want to go down there? He had seen the planet falling apart, there was nothing to be saved anymore, and yet there he was, standing on the pad, shooting an unreadable look Kirk's way, and he understood.

If Spock didn't return, he was the captain.

Surprisingly, he felt no amount of satisfaction at the thought, no evil glee, no anticipation. There was no hoping for the Vulcan to die on that planet like he hoped for Pike to never show his face again. There was a gaping void in his gut when he saw the acting Captain disappear from the pad, which he couldn't explain.

He felt betrayed somehow, it was like the universe had promised him more and then refused to deliver. There had been something in Spock's eyes before, he had seen it, and he demanded an explanation. He couldn't die on that godforsaken planet, he had to return, and he would answer to Kirk, and he would reply to all of his questions because he would MAKE HIM.

Except maybe not immediately, since Spock had just lost his mother, and while Kirk perhaps failed to understand on an emotional level why this would be a bad thing, considering the example he had grown up with, he could clearly read in the Vulcan's eyes that it had, indeed, been a big deal for him.

There was an eerie silence filling the transporter room as all eyes slid uncomfortably between each other and beyond, and Kirk couldn't help but glare at the wonder boy in front of him that had failed to deliver what his package had promised.

He felt his fingers twitch in want of an agonizer, but restrained himself since he thought it was Spock's privilege to punish the kid, not his. Contrary to what he had expected, however, Spock was not the type of man who let out his frustration in such an obvious manner. He stared quietly, with a face like stone, at the empty transporter pad and then simply marched out the room, taking much of the tension with him.

He had misjudged him once again.

Kirk wanted to avenge his mother in his place, but knew it was not up to him to decide and instead settled on watching Vulcan being consumed in one of the monitors with something that felt like unease.

It should not be affecting him, he knew. He had spent his whole life suppressing all surges of emotion, and mastered it to his best ability years ago, but seeing an entire planet vanish in front of his eyes was too much even for his control, and he could feel a bitterness overcome him that could not have been greater had it been his own planet on the viewscreen.

He wanted revenge.

He wanted Nero's head. And he wanted to be the one to get it.

When he saw something in his peripheral vision he turned to find Spock standing behind his shoulder, watching the scene of Vulcan before him.

"You should have punished Chekov," Kirk said quietly for a lack of better topics.

"There are more pressing matters to attend to," Spock pointed out just as silently, both of them afraid to raise their voice over the perishing planet in front of them.

"You are a complicated man, Commander," Kirk pointed out, daring the Vulcan to correct him on his title, but he did no such thing.

"I have come to the conclusion that the same can be said of you," he replied, eyes never leaving the viewscreen. There was nothing left now, just a gaping darkness, a hole in the fabric of the universe, but nothing that reminded of Vulcan.

"Why didn't you say something to Pike?" Kirk burst out, unable to stop himself from asking the burning question on his mind. "You knew I wouldn't hurry to his rescue, and you didn't seem terribly concerned about dying on Vulcan either."

"You operate under the misconception that I desire command," Spock said with something that sounded almost like humour. "I assure you, I do not."

"You WANT ME to take over?" Kirk asked sceptically, prompting the Vulcan to finally look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I would not go so far as to say that," he said carefully. "However, I must admit I do not entirely resent the possibility."

James stared at him in wonder before he let out a low chuckle and put a warm hand on the other's shoulder.

"You make a formidable First Officer, Commander Spock."

The Vulcan regarded the offending hand for a second, before he said with something akin to a tired smile playing around his eyes,

"Unsurprisingly, the same cannot be said of you."


	2. Chapter 2

One thing the books would mention was the dispute - following a trip to sickbay - later on the bridge, and Kirk knew, when he crawled out of the escape pod in the ice desert, that the only reason Spock hadn't killed him right there when he had dared question his orders, had been the conversation he had had with the Vulcan earlier.

That would, however, not be the official version of events.

In fact, what had actually happened would have so little to do with how the media and historians would later illustrate it, that even those involved at the time would doubt their own memories of the events.

The only thing fiction would have in common with reality was the fight itself, Kirk urging Spock to reconsider meeting with the rest of the Fleet, suggesting the direct approach – fighting Nero immediately - and Spock ignoring every argument he had to make.

What followed after the heated exchange of words would be disputed from that moment on, but Kirk knew what had happened, because he was there for some of it, and Bones had told him the rest:

Spock had knocked him out cold with the feared Vulcan nerve-pinch, and since everyone had expected him to either kill Kirk directly or throw him into the agony booth, Bones had done the unthinkable and, realizing with uncanny intuition that neither of those options was something Spock particularly desired, suggested in private a different approach, one that would not make the acting Captain look weak, while simultaneously sparing Kirk's life.

It had been decided to throw the offending First Officer into an escape pod and maroon him on Delta Vega, a fate worse than death, arguably, if you didn't know James Tiberius Kirk.

The action had not only allowed Kirk to escape with his life, it had also put Spock in an even more gruesome light, effectively inspiring unheard of fear in the remaining crew, and that had been something the books would mention.

They would say that this fear alone had been Spock's reason for Kirk's punishment, that he had meant to have him suffer a prolonged, agonizing death no booth could ever deliver, and that he had wanted his crew to know that such actions weren't beyond him.

No book would mention the doctor's interference or Spock's hesitation when asked whether Kirk should be killed or imprisoned.

What they would mention was Kirk's heroic escape, and that- now, THAT would be the stuff of legends.

James Tiberius Kirk did not think about what his frantic running would read like in historic recollections of his adventures; he was about to be eaten by a giant native ice monster, and while he was running from it he wondered whether this had been Spock's ultimate punishment: the most gruesome death imaginable that had been at his disposal.

It was in this very moment that he realized he should have stopped jumping to quick conclusions about the Vulcan hours ago. The truth was that he had absolutely no idea what was going on in the Commander's head, and he should learn to accept that he couldn't see through everyone.

That bothered him more than he was willing to admit because James Tiberius Kirk had always been an excellent judge of character. How he could have been so wrong about this man was beyond him, but as it stood now, he would not be getting a chance to figure out why.

He stumbled into the cave and barely caught a glimpse at the silhouette fending off the creature before they were alone in the glow of the torch in his saviour's hands. Kirk mentally added another unpaid debt to his admittedly short list as he faced the man in question and froze.

They recognized each other in the very same moment, he knew. It was the other who spoke first, however.

"James Tiberius Kirk," the man said, voice thick with surprise, and absorbed every detail of his figure with his quick eyes in a matter of seconds in a manner that made the blond strangely uncomfortable. It was too familiar, he knew. There was something about this guy he couldn't lay his finger on, and he wasn't sure he wanted to.

"Commander Spock," he nodded slowly, feeling tired all of a sudden. He remembered what Spock – the other one – had said on the bridge, about time-travel and alternate realities, and he knew instinctively that he was staring right at the proof he hadn't required.

So this was what the Vulcan would look like in his golden years. Huh.

"Ambassador," Spock corrected him with a faint smile around his eyes, gesturing for Kirk to follow his lead towards a fireplace he had set up deeper inside the cave.

"You're kidding," the human said flatly, eyeing the Vulcan in front of him up suspiciously. The entire concept of ambassadors in their world was grotesque, absurd even, a cosmic joke, since there was nothing further from their job description than negotiation.

They were desk murderers, brutal killers that showed absolutely no mercy and little patience, and somehow, yes, it did fit Spock almost uncannily. He had just never thought to meet an ambassador who'd survived into old age.

"What brings you here, Jim?" Spock asked, and Kirk flinched immediately at the use of his nickname. No one had ever called him that. Not since Sam.

"We seem to be awfully close if you dare call me that," the blond noticed neutrally, fully aware that the Vulcan had caught the movement he had made at the surprise.

"Indeed," the Ambassador replied vaguely, stirring the flames with his back towards Kirk and that told the man all he needed to know.

No one in their right mind turned their back towards anyone in this world.

Not unless they trusted the other person with their life.

"You will find yourself eager to tell me just what exactly the nature of our relationship is in your world, AMBASSADOR," Kirk said and drew his phaser, observing the short pause in Spock's movements with dark pleasure. However, the Vulcan did not turn around.

"As you will find that attack is not always the best form of negotiation," he said in a sober tone and straightened his shoulders before he turned to face Kirk. "But that is a long road of revelations away from your point in time, and I have neither the time nor the patience to explain it to you at the moment."

"You seem to be forgetting that I'm holding a phaser," Kirk pointed out unnecessarily as he waved the weapon in front of the Vulcan's eyes.

"On the contrary," Spock said mildly. "And before you mention it: yes, I am fully aware of your proficiency in that particular area, however, time is of the essence, and it would be most beneficial for you if you were to follow my lead in this instance, Captain."

Kirk stopped short at this, eyeing his opponent suspiciously before slowly lowering his weapon.

"I'm not the captain," he frowned at the Vulcan. "You are."

That seemed to throw the Ambassador off for a second before he said,

"Indeed? Unexpected, however nothing that cannot be rectified."

He left the cave with those words, expecting Kirk to follow him, and, surprising both of them, he did.

* * *

Meeting Montgomery Scott in the Starfleet outpost was like the universe's version of a joke, Kirk thought, because their situations were so alike it was ridiculous.

Scott had been abandoned here because he had dared touch Admiral Archer's stupid beagle, a dog Kirk had met and come to hate immediately, and the Admiral had not deemed a quick death fit for his assault and had instead decided to have the engineer transferred onto the worst planet in the system – a fate Kirk knew too well.

There was a little alien with him to keep him company and - perhaps more than that - annoy him, but that was about all the contact he had in this outpost, and Kirk couldn't help but wonder why they had an institution like this on such a planet to begin with. There really seemed no other purpose for having a Starfleet outpost on Delta Vega than using it as lifelong punishment for assigned officers.

Kirk liked the man immediately.

It wasn't just their shared suffering, the engineer had a rare sense of humour and a gruesome grin when he described what he had done to the beagle, and according to Ambassador Spock he was also the most competent man in his field.

Kirk could see the partnership forming practically in front of his eyes, and he could read in Scott's face that he was thinking the same thing.

He was unsurprised when Spock revealed he knew a formula to beam them aboard a ship in warp drive, and he was even less shocked at the revelation that the discovery had been made by the other reality's Scott.

What did catch him unprepared was the Ambassador taking him to the side before they were to leave, and the proposition he made.

"No way," Kirk hissed and took a step back to bring some distance between them. "Are you nuts? I've heard about your so-called 'mind-melds'. They're torture!"

"Jim…" Spock said in a soothing tone, but Kirk interrupted him sharply.

"Stop calling me that! You don't know me!"

The Vulcan sighed at that, which was easily the most bizarre thing Kirk had seen all day, and he slowly stroked his beard, apparently deep in thought.

"If I were to give an account of something you would only have confided in someone worthy of your absolute trust, something no other living soul in the universe could possibly be aware of, would that be enough to have you consent to the mind-meld?" Spock asked carefully, slowly, observing Kirk's every movement.

"I trust no one," he replied with gritted teeth, causing the Vulcan to chuckle lightly.

"Presently," the Ambassador agreed vaguely, taking two steps towards the other, closing the gap between them. Leaning forward, he whispered lowly into Kirk's ear what the man had thought he had long left behind himself.

"How do you know about Tarsus?" He asked with wide eyes, not flinching away as the Vulcan extended his arm and let his fingers rest on Kirk's face.

The history books would not remember his first kill; Spock did.

What he experienced in the mind-meld was different from everything he had ever imagined, had ever heard about this thing Vulcan officers used as means of torture, and nothing the Ambassador could have said would have prepared him for it.

He saw what had happened to this Spock, how he had tried to stop the supernova in time in order to assure the Romulans' agreement to join the Empire, how he had failed, how Nero had been waiting for him in this reality all those years, and how he had been abandoned on this planet in order to witness Vulcan collapse in itself.

He had never been naïve enough to think that Vulcans didn't experience emotions like everybody else, despite their best efforts to prove otherwise, but trapped in the mind-meld with Spock Kirk was having something of a revelation.

There was anger, frustration and pure hatred for the Romulan, of course.

However, there was also pain, guilt - something he had indeed always thought Vulcans incapable of feeling – and compassion. This Spock was feeling sorry for Nero because the Romulan had lost EVERYTHING in his reality, and something told Kirk that the Vulcan knew what that was like.

Originally it had only be a nagging sensation at the back of his mind, and he had dismissed it almost immediately, but it turned out to be very persistent, and now, with Spock's mind connected to his, his whole body was screaming that there was a reason the Ambassador had known about Tarsus.

He forced himself to take control over the situation once more and mentally pushed the Vulcan to release him from the mind-meld, leaving him breathing heavily, staring at the other over the tangible tension between them.

"How do you know about Tarsus?" Kirk repeated his earlier question, choosing not to make any remarks about what he had witnessed in the meld.

"You told me," Spock replied simply, entering something into the console.

"Yeah, see," the blond snorted and drew his phaser. "I wouldn't do that. There's simply no way in hell I'd ever tell anyone about what happened on that planet, or even that I was on there, so how the fuck did you get this information?"

He pointed his weapon at the weary looking Vulcan and waved around for emphasis.

"You believe I forced you into a mind-meld," Spock deduced with a mental sigh the other could almost hear in his own head. It wasn't a question.

"How else would you get your hands on that intel?" Kirk sneered. "I deleted all the evidence of my presence there personally. You won't find a single file of that time with my name on it."

"It is true that I acquired certain parts of this particular period of your life through a connection of our minds," the Ambassador admitted carefully.

"A-ha!" Kirk moved closer, phaser in hand. "So you admit assaulting me in that other reality?"

"I… cannot deny doing so." Spock hesitated for a moment before he stared at the other intently. "However, not quite in the manner you assume."

Kirk met his burning eyes with trepidation, uncertain whether he really desired a closer recount of whatever it was the Vulcan was implying. He was neither stupid nor naïve, and he had seen the way the Ambassador's eyes had lingered on him. It had simply never occurred to him that the emotions he had picked up in the meld might have been reciprocated.

"Even if I allowed you in my bed, I still wouldn't grant you access to my mind," he pointed out, taking another step towards Spock, pushing his phaser hard into the Vulcan's side where he knew his heart to be.

"Actually," the Ambassador sighed and slowly raised his hand to put it on Kirk's, forcing the human to lower the phaser, "it came to happen the other way around."

He wanted to shoot, to scream, to grab a chair and throw it against the next wall, to deny everything that had come out of the Vulcan's mouth in the past minutes, but what he saw in those ancient eyes was all the prove he needed to know that he was listening to the truth.

"Why are you telling me this?" Kirk forced himself to ask, painfully aware of the warm hand still resting on his.

"I had not intended to," Spock admitted. "However, it seemed appropriate, considering the circumstances." He let go of the human's hand and let it rest on his shoulder instead.

"Jim, I have had the honour of knowing you for decades. I am fully aware of every aspect of your history. I am not as naïve to believe for one moment that you will simply lay back and let events unfold without fighting against your destiny with every fibre of your being, every step of the way." He allowed a small smile to reach the corner of his lips as he observed the fuming human in front of him.

"Nevertheless, your cooperation in this instance is of the essence. You will have to take command over the Enterprise, and you will have to do so without killing my counterpart in the process."

"Why?" Kirk asked flatly, pouting for the first time in his life.

"Because without him by your side you will die within the first year of your mission," Spock revealed mercilessly, sharp eyes staring into his.

"That was in a different reality," Kirk pointed out, unease overcoming him at the urgent look in the Vulcan's face.

"Some things are constant," the Ambassador waved off. "The universe has been eager to repair itself ever since Nero created this reality. Do you not find it to be an awful coincidence that you are serving with the very same people on the exact same ship as the other Jim, despite of how different your lives should have been? How do you explain your shared history on Tarsus?"

"You don't know if I'm serving with the same people," Kirk frowned, but he had hit a nerve with Tarsus.

"Lt. Uhura, Pavel Chekov, Hikaru Sulu, Leonard McCoy, whom you especially enjoyed taunting with your assigned nickname for him, 'Bones', and now, of course, also Montgomery Scott," Spock recited effortlessly. "History is repeating itself, whether you want to accept it or not."

The blond stared at him motionlessly, letting the weight of those words wash over him for a moment.

"I bet you have a lot of helpful intel then," he concluded with a malicious grin.

"None which I would care to share with you at the present date," Spock told him flatly, nodding towards the transporter pads Scott was standing close to.

"However, I can promise you a long and accomplished life if you follow my instructions and return to the ship immediately," he offered honestly.

"Why?" Kirk frowned and stepped onto the empty pad, Spock following shortly behind. "Why would you help me?"

"A long time ago I made a promise to my captain, and I intend to keep it," the Vulcan said mysteriously, before he nodded a goodbye to Scott. "Jim, you will have to relieve my counterpart from command without killing him. Mr Scott, I suggest your loyalties to lie with your future captain in this instance."

"Fine with me, lad," the Scotsman smirked easily. "Anything for the guy who gets me out of this frozen hell."

"Spock, wait!" Kirk said quickly, stopping the Vulcan from sending them on their way. "How am I supposed to relieve you from command without killing you? That's never been done!"

"I trust you will think of a way," Spock said and Kirk could have sworn he saw a small smile play around those lips behind the cover of his beard.

"Live long and prosper, Jim," the Ambassador said and did the unthinkable. He raised his hand in the Vulcan salute, a gesture usually reserved for members of the race only, a gesture so insanely private that no Vulcan dared to make use of it in public, and it suddenly occurred to Kirk that his counterpart hadn't been the only one who had allowed himself to trust in a world in which the mere word was being laughed at.

* * *

They relieved the guards intercepting them from their phasers in a matter of seconds, leaving the owners in a heap of limbs on the floor as they hurried towards the bridge.

No one dared stop them or question their presence on the ship. Good.

Kirk strolled through the entrance guns blazing, so to speak, directing his phaser at Spock's mildly surprised face.

There was no security on the bridge, only the necessary personnel, and most of them weren't equipped with weapons to ensure the relative security of the captain regarding assassination attempts.

Of course, Kirk thought, Spock hasn't had time to assign a personal guard yet.

"Gentlemen, we're taking over command of this vessel," he said, lazily waving his phaser around for emphasis. "If you should have any objections, speak now and forever hold your peace."

"How did you manage to beam on board this vessel while we were travelling at warp speed?" Spock asked with a small frown only Kirk noticed on his face.

"Now, what kind of magician just gives his tricks away for free?" The blond smirked darkly and took another step towards the Vulcan. "Mr Sulu, I would strongly advise against raising any alarms if you value your life," he said lazily and pointed the phaser in his other hand at the helmsman who had tried to push a button.

"I saved your life just a few hours ago," Kirk continued and allowed himself to stare angrily at the offending officer. "Don't think I can't just simply take it away anytime I feel like it."

Scott moved to push Uhura, who also didn't seem to be willing to sit idly by while Kirk's plan was unfolding, away from her station and then guarded the exit.

"Look, guys," Kirk sighed in false sympathy. "I don't want to kill anyone here, believe me. Not that I won't do it if you force my hand, of course, but I didn't specifically come here to exterminate anyone."

He gestured wildly through the room with the phaser pointed at Sulu.

"Now, if you would be so kind, I would like to have your weapons. All of them. Pronto," he heard the clattering of objects falling to the floor around his feet at that, but he didn't take his eyes off Spock for a second.

"Captain," he nodded and pointed towards the phaser at his belt. "If you please."

Spock made no move to relieve himself of his weapon, nor did he appear to be especially worried about Kirk's attempted mutiny.

The human felt more than slightly irritated as he observed the calm eyes assessing his figure instead of following his instructions.

"I would rather not, thank you, Mr Kirk," Spock replied icily, frozen in place in front of the captain's chair.

"Why do you have to make everything so difficult?" Kirk sighed and leapt at the stoic Vulcan figure, trusting Scott to take care of the remaining officers.

He wasn't particularly worried about them; not only because they were mostly unarmed now, but because assassinations happened all the time in the Empire, and everyone learned quickly to adapt to new regimes anyway, therefore eliminating the notion to get involved unless strictly necessary. They would side with the winner, Kirk was certain of that, but they would not try to influence who that would be.

Kirk thanked all the higher powers he didn't believe in for his advanced martial arts training and the fact that he had the advantage of just having fought and defeated a couple of Romulans, who seemed to possess about the same superior strength as Vulcans.

He knew, objectively, that he didn't stand a chance against Spock. He had no illusions about that, and he knew that Spock knew that too.

His intention had never been to defeat the Vulcan. He had only required skin-contact.

Kirk wasn't entirely sure how the whole mind-reading thing worked, but he was giving it his best effort. Further, he had an emergency plan ready in case this ended badly, which involved Scott shooting the Vulcan; however he was trying to avoid that turn of events.

It would have been so much easier to convince Spock to give up command had the guy agreed with his intended course of action, but as it stood, it took some serious thinking on Kirk's part to finally find something that made the Vulcan back down as he was trying to strangle him to death.

Kirk had known from the second Spock had re-appeared on the transporter pad that the Vulcan had made a grave mistake in letting his emotions be seen so clearly written on his face. He hadn't meant to use them against him at the time, but now it appeared to be his only option.

No one, not even in this world, would fault him for grieving for his mother or the destruction of his home planet, those were very emotional events, after all. However, showing this weakness openly, in a command position no less, was suicidal.

Kirk could have proven to the crew that their captain was emotionally compromised. He could have made Spock appear weak and an easy target, ensuring his guaranteed assassination in less than an hour, and he made sure the Vulcan was aware of that.

He also transmitted his desire to let him get away with his life, provided he agreed to serving under him as his First Officer.

While Spock did not understand the motivation behind these thoughts, he clearly got the message, for he loosened his grip on Kirk's throat noticeably only for the human, allowing him the leverage to deliver a painful blow at Spock's private parts, ultimately providing the perfect excuse for the Vulcan to stumble away and grant Kirk the upper hand.

That was all he needed.

Victoriously, Kirk drew his phaser again, pointing it at the back of Spock's head, gesturing towards the intercom.

"Say it," he ordered, aware of the eerie silence on the bridge. Spock hesitated for a second before he dutifully pushed a button and let his voice be carried throughout the ship.

"This is the captain speaking," he said slowly.

"The former captain," Kirk interrupted him cheerfully. "Okay, listen up, guys. Here's the thing: As of right now, it's Captain KIRK, understood? My dear First Officer, Mr Spock, has decided to be so kind as to let me have his ship. This behaviour will be rewarded, naturally, and I would like to take the opportunity to tell everyone aboard this vessel that I will personally gut you should you try to lay a hand on him, are we clear on that? Good."

He ended the ship-wide call and turned to face the bridge crew, lowering his phaser in the process.

"See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Kirk smirked and clapped Spock's shoulder in mock- camaraderie before he sat down in the captain's chair with an audible sigh.

"I get why you didn't wanna let go of your job, Spock," he grinned. "This is awesome."

The Vulcan fixed him in silence for a minute before he practically stomped out of the room, his father close behind, leaving it up to Kirk to give the next orders.

History would remember this, surprisingly enough almost accurately, and it would be widely regarded as the day the Enterprise team, which would turn into the stuff of legends on the very same day, was formed.

Of course Kirk didn't know this at the time. None of them did.

The new captain was cheerfully assessing the stunned faces on the bridge, secretly sniggering inside at the shocked expressions he was soaking up with pleasure.

It was Bones who eventually broke the silence after everyone had – still in shock - followed Kirk's orders to plot a course for Earth.

"Who the hell are you?" The doctor frowned at Scott who was still guarding the exit. "Are you even a member of Starfleet? Or did the maniac hire you from somewhere?"

"Ah, yes, yes I am a member of Starfleet," the Scotsman replied clearly distracted. "Er, Captain, sir, can I get a towel now?"

Kirk looked at him in surprise, observing a puddle forming around the engineer's feet.

"Ah," he noticed slowly. "Sure. I almost forgot. Go… dry yourself up and then get down to engineering. Something tells me we'll need you there."

"Aye, sir," Scott nodded eagerly and was almost out the door when Kirk remembered something else.

"Oh, and Mr Scott?"

"Yes, sir?" The man stopped in his tracks and turned around to face his captain again.

"I hereby promote you to Chief Engineer. Should anyone have a problem with that down there… well, I'm sure you can handle it," Kirk smirked and leaned back nonchalantly in his chair.

"Aye, sir," Scott replied with a matching smile and left the bridge.

* * *

"… a disgrace," Kirk could hear a tense voice say in the transporter room as he was just about to pass it. "A Vulcan defeated by a puny human! Relinquishing command of the Empire's flagship in the process!"

He moved slowly to the entrance, careful not to make any noise as he recognized the voice as Sarek's - Spock's father.

Now, Kirk new, in theory, that eavesdropping was wrong because it was very likely to get you killed, but despite that knowledge he felt himself unable to move away, captivated by the sight in front of him.

Spock was standing facing away from the entrance, barely containing his anger if his tense shoulders were anything to go by, and Sarek was making even less effort to get a hold of himself. He was practically fuming, glaring daggers at his son, and Kirk felt strangely bothered at the sight.

"I had no choice," Spock pointed out between gritted teeth, meeting his father's eyes with the same rage.

"You could have defeated him!" Sarek almost yelled now. "And if not that, you could have died with honour instead of allowing yourself to be a puppet for this human."

"My decision stands," Spock forced himself to say calmly. "Your words will have no influence on me. Continuing this conversation is illogical."

"A true Vulcan would have killed him," Sarek hissed dangerously. "You bring shame over your house by succumbing to your human weaknesses."

The Commander was silent for what seemed like a very long time, at least for Kirk. The Captain realized just before Spock was about to either flee the room or beat his father to death that you could only ask so much from anyone on one day, even a Vulcan. He had already lost his planet and his mother; Spock didn't need his father to insult him for his heritage in a matter of hours after the most scarring events possible had taken their toll on him.

"Excuse you," Kirk said with a strong voice as he stepped through the entrance and revealed himself. "I would have thought a Vulcan to be smarter than to threaten the Captain of the ship they're currently residing on."

Even if he should die now, Kirk knew that the look on Sarek's face would have been worth everything the man could possibly do to him.

"Captain," the Vulcan acknowledged him in a tone that suggested the title was causing him physical pain, piercing him with a murderous glare. "I was unaware of your presence."

"Jeez, I sure hope so," the blond laughed as he came to a halt at Spock's side. "That was kind of the plan."

He could have sworn he saw a light twitch at the corners of the younger Vulcan's mouth, but it was gone so fast he decided he must have imagined it.

"Moving on," Kirk continued with a slightly raised voice and a dangerous glint in his eyes now, "I might as well take the opportunity to tell you right now that I don't appreciate anyone talking down to my First Officer. You might not like him, but you sure as hell have to respect his position, and if you don't, I can promise you that for a second I won't give a shit about your species being an endangered one."

He allowed his hand to rest on Spock's shoulder and leaned forward to bring his face closer to Sarek's.

"I know you're a big shot, I'm aware of your history and position, and I respect that," he said in a very low voice, aware of the improved hearing of Vulcans. "However, if you force me to choose between you and my First Officer, you might not like the outcome."

Sarek held his eyes for a minute, utter silence between them, until he finally shifted his gaze towards Kirk's hand still resting on his son's shoulder.

"It seems I have underestimated you, Captain," he allowed vaguely, taking a step back. "Perhaps there is no shame to serve under your command after all. I shall meditate on this."

He nodded respectfully at the human and his son and took his leave.

Spock was silent for a second or two before he allowed his eyes to meet Kirk's, raising an enquiring eyebrow.

"May I ask what purpose your unasked for involvement meant to serve?" He said in a voice that told the Captain that not only had his 'unasked for involvement' been noted, but also appreciated more than the Vulcan would ever openly admit.

"You heard what I told your father," Kirk shrugged and finally let go of Spock's shoulder. "You're my First Officer now. I need people to respect you, family or not, otherwise you're a liability. I haven't been captain long enough to be ready to go yet. It's always good to have a Vulcan who doesn't desire command between me and my grudgers."

He observed the Commander at his side for a second before he continued in almost a whisper.

"Don't get the wrong idea," the human said lowly. "I don't trust you, and as soon as your use has expired I will cut you off like I did everyone before whom I didn't need. However, for the time being, you're the best in terms of a First I've got, so I think it would be beneficial for both of us if we'd try and work together."

Spock met his eyes silently and considered the proposition for a moment before he nodded courtly.

"Understood, Captain."

* * *

Once they had devised a plan with Chekov's help to get on board Nero's ship, Kirk left Sulu in charge for appearance, but everybody on the bridge knew that the pilot was answering to the phaser-wielding doctor behind him.

Kirk wasn't naïve enough to let the ship unprotected for a second, especially not when his position was still shaky at best, and he didn't trust Sulu further than he could throw the man, so he did the only logical thing and forced a phaser on Bones, telling him to 'watch his back'.

The Captain could also count on Scott, and maybe even Uhura, and he made sure everyone else was aware of those loyalties before he and Spock beamed aboard the enemy ship.

They evaded the Romulans' fire and managed to make their way towards Ambassador Spock's ship, which Kirk recognized from the mind-meld.

As soon as the voice recognition kicked in, the Vulcan by his side awarded him with a suspicious glare and a raised eyebrow, which Kirk chose to skilfully ignore as he moved further into the vessel.

"Can you fly this thing?" He asked, avoiding a direct look into Spock's eyes.

"Something tells me I already have," the Commander replied drily, eliciting a light chuckle from Kirk.

"Later," the Captain promised with a smile. "Provided we survive this. Now there's a motivation to put some effort into your job!"

"Indeed," Spock said with a raised eyebrow, but moved past Kirk to examine the chair.

The human nodded in response and left to find Nero without wasting further words.

The Romulan was nowhere to be seen, but Kirk did stumble upon someone he would rather have forgotten about.

Pike was lying on something that looked like a table built for the sole purpose of torturing the occupant, which was exactly the impression the former Captain made on Kirk when he approached him wearily.

"Pike," he said sharply, causing the man to jerk to attention, dazed eyes meeting Kirk's.

"You came," the man on the table croaked hoarsely, clearly having a hard time believing what he saw.

"To find Nero," the blond clarified, coming to a halt beside his former captain.

"Ah," Pike nodded weakly, slumping back down on the table. "Big mistake, but you always were a rash one. 's why I recruited you."

Kirk said nothing, fighting an inner war against better knowledge about the possible release of the man who could strip him from his position.

There was a reason Pike had mentioned the incident, Kirk knew. This kind of situation was exactly what he had been afraid of, from the moment the man had approached him in the bar that fateful day.

This was an open debt.

If Kirk decided to let Pike die here, at the hands of the Romulans, no one would ever question the specifics of the Captain's death. He would have died in action, a common enough occurrence, and Kirk would succeed him as the youngest captain in Starfleet history.

No one would ever question it, no.

But Kirk would know. He would know every second of every day that this had been an open debt, that he had cheated his way out of it.

"So what will it be, Kirk?" Pike croaked with a bitter laugh. "You gonna let me die here?"

That was a very good question, as the blond thought. He made his decision when the other grabbed his phaser in a heartbeat and shot a Romulan that had been aiming at Kirk without his knowledge.

"Fine," he hissed and started to untie Pike from the table. "Under one condition: you will give up your command, no exceptions, no tricks. If you don't, I'll finish what Nero started, you can trust me on that."

"We have a deal," the older man huffed as Kirk helped him sit upright. "Doubt I would be able to captain anything from this point on anyway."

"You better hope so, old man," the blond growled and helped him stand.

They listened to the announcement confirming that Spock had managed to steal the Ambassador's ship and destroy the drill, prompting Kirk to order an immediate beam-out as soon as the Enterprise was in range.

If Spock was relieved to be alive he let it show about as much as his Captain let on that he was glad to see him in one piece.

Kirk dumped Pike unceremoniously into McCoy's hands, before he hurried to the bridge, Vulcan one step behind.

Seeing Nero on the viewscreen gave him a dark satisfaction, and Kirk knew that Spock felt the same way. They didn't offer to save the Romulans, but they did suggest blowing them into oblivion before the red matter could take effect.

Nero refused, as was to be expected, and Kirk enjoyed nothing more than awarding the Romulan captain with a dark smile before he turned around and strolled towards his seat.

"Acknowledged," he said lowly, aware of Spock standing right behind the captain's chair. "See you in hell."

Naturally, they still fired at the ship, there was no way Kirk would pass on that chance, but he regretted it as soon as it became clear that they were likely to get soaked into the black hole with Nero.

Kirk tried his very best not to think about his father when he urged Scott to come up with a solution for the issue at hand. His old man had died because he had thought himself invincible. Now it was looking like all those years people had been right to compare him to his father; he would even die the same way he did. It would even be in a fight against the same ship!

But, of course, this would not be what history would remember. Kirk didn't die that day, and neither did he destroy the Enterprise. Chief Engineer Scott, field promoted, would start off his 'official' career in the Fleet with his unlikely rescue of the Enterprise. Kirk would go into the annals as the youngest starship captain in history, his first accomplishment coinciding with the day of his field promotion. It would be recorded as the day his name would inspire fear and hatred, but also respect, in Romulans all over the galaxy.

It would also be known as the day that Commander Spock established himself as the most formidable First Officer in the Fleet, the part he played in defeating Nero a vital one, and the way he steered his ship straight into the Romulan's would be the reason officers would not dare speak his name, much less attempt assassinate him, despite his earlier loss against Kirk which many had perceived as weakness.

In retrospect, rumours suggested that this swap of positions had been planned all along, that Kirk was only ever meant as a decoy to distract from the person who was actually leading the ship, even in later years, and that they continued this charade even when Kirk rose to the rank of Emperor, with Spock at his side as his Prime Minister.

They were only ever rumours, however, and no one besides the infamous command team, which had in the course of a day made a name of itself all over the galaxy, knew the truth; that despite the world they were living in, despite their earlier misunderstandings and disagreements, even those that would follow later, the only secret they were hiding from the Empire was that they did, indeed, dare to trust each other, and that that was the sole reason for their numerous accomplishments.

Still, this would be a long way down the road, years even, and for now they were being celebrated as heroes upon their return to Earth.

Pike kept his word and relinquished command due to medical reasons, rising to the rank of Admiral; a turn of events that immensely pleased Kirk, for now Pike was in his debt, and it never hurt to have something like loyalty of someone on the inside.

McCoy was immediately promoted to Chief Medical Officer, a position he had already held anyway, but now it had been made official, and due to a commendation from the Captain, Uhura, too, could keep her place on the bridge.

Scott was begrudgingly awarded for original thinking by Admiral Archer, and he was allowed to continue serving on the Enterprise as Chief Engineer under the condition that he passed on the equation for transwarp beaming to the admiralty. A small price to pay, all things considered, and Scott happily agreed.

Funnily enough, the original pilot intended for the Enterprise never did recover from his lungworms, leaving Sulu in charge of the helm, with the whizkid at his side, even though Kirk still resented the boy for not being able to save Spock's mother, but that was a whole different story, and when push came to shove he would probably sleep better if he had wonderboy on his side.

The only thing that came as a surprise to Kirk was Spock's unwillingness to re-join the Enterprise team for the five year mission the admiralty had bestowed upon them. He himself, in turn, felt very much unwilling to let his First Officer go, and decided he would not take 'no' for an answer, therefore hunting the Vulcan down on the hangar deck before he could fly off to somewhere.

Kirk found Spock conversing with his counterpart, who seemed very adamant in driving his point home.

"Gentlemen," the Captain greeted them as he strolled closer. "I see introductions are no longer necessary."

"Jim," the Ambassador greeted him with an almost invisible smile. "I am pleased to see you before I leave the planet."

"You're going?" Kirk frowned as he stood beside his Commander. "Where?"

"There is a planet that has been classified as suitable for the remaining Vulcans to live on," the older Spock explained. "I will be helping them rebuild our race."

"Ah," the Captain nodded slowly. "I suppose that makes sense."

"I stayed for the ceremony," the Ambassador continued with a definite sparkle in his eyes. "I must admit to experiencing some surprise at Admiral Pike's presence."

"What do you mean?"

"Ah, nothing of the essence," the Vulcan waved off. "It merely seemed out of character at the time, considering the actions my own captain took."

Kirk considered him for a second before he sighed and tiredly rubbed his eyes.

"He killed him, right?"

"Yes."

"I thought about that," the Captain admitted slowly. "I would have done it had he not promised to relinquish command. And, of course, should he have gone back on his word."

"I would expect no less," the Ambassador nodded. "However, I cannot deny being pleased at this turn of events. Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps you can influence your future."

"Really? Do you actually think so or are you just saying that to boost my ego?" Kirk said teasingly, aware of the stiff Vulcan beside him.

"Suffice it to say that if anyone can change the course of their fate, it is Captain Kirk," the Ambassador replied vaguely, focussing his attention on his counterpart.

"I remain adamant about my opinion," he said to his younger version. "I strongly urge you to reconsider."

"Your concern has been noted," the Commander replied stiffly. "However, the choice remains mine, and your interference is not appreciated."

"As you wish," his counterpart replied vaguely and turned towards the Captain. "Jim, I trust you will stay in touch. There are many things I wish to discuss with you; however not at this point in time. Farewell, Captain. Commander."

He nodded as a means of excusing himself before he walked out of their sight.

Kirk looked after him for a while before he turned slowly towards the remaining Spock, his face carefully blank.

"So are you gonna join me on the Enterprise or not?"

"I believe I already submitted my resignation weeks ago," the Commander said coolly, not meeting his eyes. "My decision stands."

"The other you seemed pretty convinced that it would be best for both of us were you to stay," Kirk pointed out carefully.

"Correct," Spock allowed slowly. "However, that was in a different reality. The Ambassador did not have an obligation to assist in the rebuilding of his race. He was not a member of an endangered species. I, as you know, am."

"True," the Captain admitted and stared into the distance for a second before he put a heavy hand on Spock's shoulder and forced the Commander to meet his intent eyes. "But neither he nor you owe those Vulcans anything. Don't think I didn't notice the way they looked at you when they were on board our ship. You can't tell me that they've ever treated you as an equal, or that you'd enjoy spending time with them."

"Vulcans do not 'enjoy'-"

"Yes, sure, whatever," Kirk snorted and dug his fingers into the warm flesh beneath them. "Spock. If you join me on the Enterprise, I guarantee you a life in which you'll be respected, not treated like dirt as I'm sure those Vulcans will make sure of."

The Commander looked at him impassively, giving no sign of agreement or the reverse.

"I've always been a good judge of character," the human continued unfazed and brought his face closer to the other's. "And I'm telling you now with absolute certainty that you will regret resigning your commission as soon as you'll make first contact with the remaining members of your race. The crew fears you- heck, the whole Empire shudders at the mere mention of your name, and you have a glorious future in front of you in the Fleet, should you decide to stay. I KNOW that. Don't throw that away out of some misguided sense of duty."

"May I make a query?" Spock asked curiously, fixing Kirk's eyes with an almost unnoticeable frown on his face.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Why are you telling me this?" The Vulcan seemed frustrated at not being able to figure out the answer to that question himself. "What concern is it of yours whether I leave the service or not? There are more than suitable replacements for the position as your First Officer, and I have taken the liberty to recommend several applicants to you personally."

"They won't do," Kirk replied equally frustrated. "They're not you. You're not naïve; you know how these things go. All of those officers are older than me, and other than you they do, in fact, desire command, and I can tell you right now that they'll think they deserve it more than me before they've even boarded the ship. They'll try to get rid of me before we've gone into warp."

"I have utmost confidence in your abilities," Spock said drily. "I am certain you will find a way to dispose of them first."

"I don't want to!" The Captain cried and grabbed the Vulcan's other shoulder in a death grip. "Man, don't you get it?! I don't WANT anyone else. I don't WANT to find a new First Officer every other week. I don't want to lock the door to my quarters in eight different manners every night to make sure they don't cut my throat while I'm sleeping."

"That is standard protocol on starships," Spock frowned. "You cannot have expected anything less."

"I haven't," Kirk sighed. "Not at first, anyway. But then other-you turned up and showed me things. Insane things! You wouldn't believe them. I'm not sure I do, but I do know one thing: he's convinced it would be best for both of us if you returned to your post, and I find myself willing to agree with him."

Spock stayed silent for a long time before he finally allowed himself to relax his shoulders a fraction of a bit, meeting Kirk's eyes wearily.

"Very well, Captain," he said and skilfully extracted himself from the other's tight grip. "I shall meditate on this."


End file.
